Ward 6 councilman plans to step down

City will interview candidates to fill remainder of Doug Barry's term

Takoma Park City Councilman Doug Barry will resign his position on the council by the end of the month, leaving the legislative body short-handed for at least a few weeks while a temporary replacement is chosen by the council in June.

Barry, who has represented Ward 6 and the New Hampshire Avenue corridor of Takoma Park for nine years since he was first elected in 2003, will move to Washington, D.C., with his wife and family in order to be closer to work and school.

"I wanted to finish out the complete term, but the buying and selling cycles didn't cooperate and we had to go sooner than later," he said Monday. "It's not a bad time to go because the budget season is finished, all the heavy lifting [at least]."

According to Section 304 of the City Charter, a council member who moves out of either the ward they represent or the city is immediately removed from office. Section 308 maintains that, because Barry is resigning within 240 days of the next city election, which will be held in November, the council is tasked with appointing a temporary replacement instead of relying on a special election.

While there is no provision that states a replacement cannot choose to run for office in the November election, Mayor Bruce Williams and the council did express their preference to select a candidate who would not be interested in taking on Barry's seat after the temporary period expires.

"The council does not want to be in the position of naming a successor," Williams explained during a council discussion of the appointment process Monday.

The council has 60 days from the day Barry officially resigns to appoint his temporary replacement, which would technically give the council until July 28 if Barry leaves when expected at the end of May.

Williams and the council set a tentative June 12 deadline for interested Ward 6 residents to apply for the temporary post. Tentative interview sessions between the council and applicants were also scheduled for June 15 and 24. Further details on how to apply will be determined at a later date.

Ward 1 Councilman Josh Wright's suggested that the council look to Barry to determine how the council appoints his replacement. But Barry supported Williams' suggestion that the council hold public hearings to determine community interest.

"I think the idea that giving folks in the ward a chance to come down and talk to [the council] and express their interests seems to be the best way to go," Barry said.

When asked after the meeting for suggestions of possible qualified replacements for the temporary position, Barry refused to provide names.

"I won't identify [anyone] because it might prejudge or influence my colleagues [on the council] who I think should really be able to exercise their judgment without me whispering in their ear," he said.